Compassion Bulldoghttps://compassionbulldog.blog
Join me in my ramblings and life experiences, spreading compassion and being a bit of a bulldog along the way.Mon, 19 Mar 2018 12:43:30 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://livewellmama.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/cropped-compassion-bulldog.jpg?w=32Compassion Bulldoghttps://compassionbulldog.blog
3232All the Feelshttps://compassionbulldog.blog/2018/01/05/all-the-feels/
https://compassionbulldog.blog/2018/01/05/all-the-feels/#respondFri, 05 Jan 2018 22:49:54 +0000http://compassionbulldog.blog/?p=469Continue reading All the Feels→]]>Does anybody else get all the feels from television shows, movies and books?

Sometimes I think that makes me crazy. I mean, we are supposed to experience life and get all the feels from the experience right?!

But then again, maybe that means that the television show/movie/book is simply written/done very well and that is why we get all the feels? That doesn’t make me crazy right? Tell me other people do this too. No really, please tell me.

What are some of your favorites?

My favorite television shows lately have been Gifted; Younger; The Good Place, and Kevin Probably Saves the World.
I seem to love all books really. Some good ones I read recently are Shadow’s Edge and Exhume.
As for movies, the animated ones really get me…lol! Moana is my favorite. I also really love Inside Out, Cars 3, and my absolute favorite is Liar Liar. That one makes me laugh every time and I quote it constantly.

*Photo credit: https://sayingimages.com/panda-meme/

]]>https://compassionbulldog.blog/2018/01/05/all-the-feels/feed/0All the feelscompassionbulldogThe bulldog comes out…https://compassionbulldog.blog/2017/12/13/the-bulldog-comes-out/
https://compassionbulldog.blog/2017/12/13/the-bulldog-comes-out/#respondWed, 13 Dec 2017 15:11:36 +0000http://compassionbulldog.blog/?p=466Continue reading The bulldog comes out…→]]>There are many times that my ‘bulldog’ side comes out and sometimes stronger than others…but there is nothing that makes my bulldog side more angry than people that put my children in harms way. Mama bear kicks in and this bulldog will bite!

Today while waiting in the line of traffic to drop my children off at school I saw three cars decide that general traffic laws don’t apply to them. Instead of waiting in traffic like everybody else, they decided to pull out of the line and drive the wrong way in the oncoming traffic lane to go around the line of cars waiting to turn into the school parking lot. Let me pause a moment for that to sink in…they drove the WRONG way in the oncoming traffic lane to go AROUND everybody else.

My first thought to these people is (in the words of Jim Carey’s character in Liar Liar), “Quit breaking the law a##hole!”

My second thought is, if you don’t like waiting in school traffic and feel the need to go around it, here is a brilliant idea for you…use a different street!!

My third, and most important thought for these people is to think about what you are doing. Really take a moment and think how your actions could impact those around you. Do you realize that all of the cars that you passed have children in them waiting to be dropped off at school? Do you realize that any cars that you may meet (head one because you are going the WRONG way!) are parents/grandparents/neighbors/etc. of those children? Do you realize that there are children that cross that street to hurry to get to school and may not see you coming the wrong way?!?

Is the extra few minutes of your time worth their safety???? No really, is it?!? Here’s a clue….NO IT IS NOT!!! How dare you value your time over somebody else’s safety. That is not something that I will not tolerate and it shouldn’t be something that the other parents/grandparents/friends/neighbors/etc. of our school family tolerate.

Wow. That statement really hit me hard and made me think.
I mean, we all have had our days that adulting is hard, right?
Any of these sound or look familiar??? Hello…Mondays right?!

But to go as far as to say that adulthood is where dreams go to die?!

What did this really mean? Is it true? Are we all doomed?!

Let’s dive deeper…
As children, we are encouraged to use our imaginations, read, play and dream.
As adults we are encouraged to go to work, make money and pay bills.
I have to say, I am finding it hard to disagree with the statement at this point.

Well, I will tell you with certainty that for those that truly believe that adulthood is where dreams go to die, it is. Those are the ones that will succumb to being stuck going to a job they don’t love (and maybe even hate) to pay the bills and make a living. But is that really a ‘living’ at all…or simply an existence?

Luckily, there is hope. You see, it is all about perception and there is another way to look at this. Adulthood doesn’t have to be where our dreams go to die. Where is there a rule that says as we get older we have to stop using our imaginations? Stop reading? Stop playing? Stop dreaming?

Well, there isn’t one. We place that perceived barrier on ourselves.
So let’s all do ourselves a favor and get out of our own way! It is time to connect to your inner child. Imagine, read, play, dream…believe!

Don’t let adulthood be where your dreams go to die…let it be where they come alive!
The power is all yours.

There I ‘said it out-loud’ here on my blog for all to see. :-O
I have fallen more and more in love with reading and the power of words and my heart is yearning to some day become an author and a speaker. I already speak on occasion and I absolutely love it and I write every once in a blue moon either by blogging or in a journal. I love the way I feel when I write and my works tend to get good responses.

So…what should I write about? What kind of book do you want to read? What topic do you want to hear about? What questions do you want answered? What do you want said, but not want to be the one to say it?! I would love to hear from all of you.

Thanks in advance and remember to continue to spread love and kindness.

Until next time…

]]>https://compassionbulldog.blog/2017/06/15/goals/feed/0DChitwood_GoalsAreDreamsWithDeadlinescompassionbulldogAuthorUnseen Battleshttps://compassionbulldog.blog/2017/06/15/unseen-battles/
https://compassionbulldog.blog/2017/06/15/unseen-battles/#respondThu, 15 Jun 2017 20:34:58 +0000http://livewellmama.wordpress.com/?p=311Continue reading Unseen Battles→]]>We each have things in life that make our hearts smile and shine bright. For me that involves a number of things including family, photography, travel, reading, creating art, writing and making a difference in the lives of others.

We also each have moments where our hearts don’t shine as bright. For everyone this is different and for some it can last single fleeting moments and for others may last hours, days, weeks, etc.

I suffer from bouts of anxiety and depression, as I am fairly certain all humans do in some capacity. I suffer to a degree that I am on medication to help with the severity of the episodes. Again, I know I am not alone in that experience, however it is not commonly accepted to be open about that. I also know that there are many that suffer in silence and do not seek treatment in fear of being judged or those that have attempted to talk with their doctor about it and not been taken seriously. I am lucky to have a doctor that listened to me, took my concerns to heart, talked me through everything and connected me with the proper professional for analysis and treatment.

Now many may have stopped reading already and thought that this does not apply to them or it is just another story about mental health. For those that are still with me, thank you. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you and thank you for being open to learning more to either help yourself or help somebody you love.
My hope is that by sharing my experience of what it feels like during my episodes that you or someone you love may find value in it or maybe even benefit from it.

The anxiety sometimes creeps up on me. I may feel a twinge of doubt or nervousness but it will disappear as quickly as it came. Then another twinge followed by another and another until my heart is racing, my chest feels tight and heavy and my stomach feels like it is in my throat. During this time my head feels like a pinball machine with non-defined ‘thoughts’ bouncing around in my brain. Focus is near impossible and motivation has gone out the door and around the block. I feel worried and nervous for no apparent reason and as if I am crawling out of my own skin. I know the feelings are irrational, unwarranted and definitely unwanted; but in the midst of it I am seemingly powerless to change it.

A visual from nature to help explain anxiety and the way it feels as if you are crawling out of your own skin.

Other times all of those feelings will simply pounce on me out of the blue; usually when I am winding down for the night or as soon as I wake in the morning. No matter if it is a sneak attack or an all-at-once blow, it is a terrible feeling and something very difficult to control.

The other episodes I deal with are those of depression, which often like to jump in on the fun alongside anxiety. While many believe that depression involves feeling sad or blue, I choose to explain it more as a feeling of emptiness. During times of the deepest depression I truly feel….nothing; empty; invisible. We all have moments (especially women) where we feel inferior or doubt our abilities or worth. Take those moments and multiply them by one hundred and then extend them out for awhile; that is close to what depression feels like for me. When these bouts hit me, my inner hermit appears. I want to crawl into a cave and hide, never to come out. I often find that during these episodes I feel extremely tired; which I personally think is my body’s way of coping. If I sleep, I can’t ‘feel’ the emptiness and the loneliness.

So why am I sharing this with you? Because I am one of the lucky ones. Lucky to be in tune with myself; my body, my heart, my mind, my spirit. Lucky to recognize when something isn’t quite right. Lucky to have a trusted doctor, friends and family that support me through these discoveries. Lucky to know that I am not alone in this battle, even when it feels like I am. Lucky to be proud of who I am and not let this define me.

Others are not as lucky. Others are suffering in silence and fear. Others are unarmed and unaware of the battle they are up against. Others have stood up to fight and hit obstacles only to surrender and give up hope for any relief.

I share this with you today to let you know that you are not alone; you do not need to fight unarmed or surrender; you are worth it; you are loved; and the world needs you. Do not sit silently and suffer. Reach out to those you love and trust. If you hit an obstacle, do not give up. Find a way around that obstacle; go over, under, around or through.

And if you do not know what it is like to live these battles, please understand that there are many around you that do. Be kind and understanding to others always; as everybody you meet has their own battles and their own story.